Cheltenham Announces Shortlist For Ladies´ Award

Cheltenham Racecourse today announced the six names that form the shortlist for its award recognising "the outstanding contribution made by a lady to Jump Racing". A large number of nominations were received from members of the public, and those shortlisted include women involved in racing in a host of different ways.

The six names in the frame are: Nina Carberry, arguably the best female jump jockey of all time; Jessica Harrington, representing the ranks of trainers; Melanie Langford, a key member of the stable staff at Henry Daly´s yard since he started training; Denise Large, the programme director of Channel 4´s coverage of The Festival; Lady Chicky Oaksey, senior almoner at the Injured Jockeys´ Fund and Ann Saunders, company secretary of the Professional Jockeys´ Association, having worked for that organisation for 31 years.

The winner is being decided by a panel made up of Zara Phillips, Clare Balding, Jacqui O´Neill and Gee Bradburne and will be announced on Friday, March 7. The successful lady will then be presented with her award at The Festival on Thursday, March 13, the date of Cheltenham´s Ladies´ Day.

Commenting on the shortlist, Edward Gillespie, Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: "Cheltenham is proud of this award, which will be the centrepiece of Ladies´ Day at The Festival.

"We were delighted to receive so many nominations covering a wide cross-section of the industry and the make up of the final six sums up the hugely significant contribution ladies make across the whole spectrum of Jump Racing. The judges do not face an easy task!"

Last year´s winner of the inaugural award was Heather Atkinson, who has been the senior nurse in the jockeys´ hospital at the racecourse for over 30 years.